Blood clots sideline NFL star

During his six-year NFL career, quarterback Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles has missed only a handful of games due to injury, including a concussion which sidelined him for two games in 2024.

But his latest health scare will keep the former Super Bowl MVP out of football for the remainder of the 2026 season and possibly longer.

Not the first pro to have it

Hurts was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and blood clots in both lungs after returning from an international game in London.

The 28-year-old was initially diagnosed with superficial vein thrombosis (SVT) in his left leg, a result of being stepped on by an opposing player’s cleats the week before. SVTs are located just beneath the surface of the skin, most commonly in the legs or arms.

Nayan Agarwal, MD, FACC, an interventional cardiologist with Baptist Heart Specialists, said the calf injury likely ignited an inflammatory process that led to the superficial blood clot.

“Trauma plus long immobility, such as during a long flight, could have been factors in his case,” said Dr. Agarwal, adding that professional athletes have a higher risk for developing blood clots due to dehydration, muscle strain and frequent long-haul flights. “Additionally, reduced blood flow to the legs increases the risk of developing DVT.”

Hurts isn’t the first professional athlete to experience blood clots.

Tennis legend Serena Williams has faced life-threatening blood clots twice in her career, including in 2017 after giving birth to her daughter via an emergency C-section. NBA all-star Victor Wembanyama was diagnosed with DVT and a blood clot in his right shoulder in 2025.

Breaking down DVT

Deep vein thrombosis is a serious medical condition that affects nearly a million people each year. It occurs when a blood clot (thrombus) forms in large blood vessels located deep inside muscles and alongside bones, most commonly in the lower legs, thighs or pelvis. Commons symptoms include:

• Leg swelling in one leg or arm
• Pain or cramping in the calf or thigh
• Warmth over the affected area
• Red or discolored skin

“Anything that slows down blood flow, damages the lining of a vein or makes the blood more likely to clot can cause DVT,” said Dr. Agarwal, adding that some people may have a congenital (present at birth) condition that can cause a large vein to become blocked over time or a rare vascular anomaly that makes them prone to forming blood clots.

Once a clot breaks free from a deep vein, as in Hurts’ case, it can travel through the bloodstream into the heart and then into the pulmonary arteries of the lungs, cutting off normal blood circulation and oxygen supply.

In worst-case scenarios, when a clot breaks loose from an artery, it can travel to the brain or heart, causing a stroke or heart attack.

DVT treatments

Hurts is currently being treated with blood-thinning medication to help dissolve the clots and prevent new ones from forming. When anticoagulation therapy isn’t effective in reducing DVT or blood clots in the lungs, minimally invasive interventions such as clot removal, known as thrombectomy, may be required

“We can also use balloon angioplasty to break apart a clot to restore blood flow or place a permanent stent inside the vessel to keep it open,” he added.

Other measures include placing a small metal device inside the inferior vena cava (the main vein in the abdomen) to trap loose clots before they can reach the lungs.

Compression stockings can also improve blood flow in the legs and reduce chronic swelling or post-thrombotic syndrome, a chronic condition that develops as a long-term complication after a DVT.

Provoked versus unprovoked clots

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 100,000 people die of blood clots each year and three in 10 who have a blood clot will have another within a decade.

Early diagnosis, typically done by ultrasound, is critical to prevent death.

“When there is superficial thrombus, we often repeat ultrasound in a few weeks to see if the clot is progressing,” Dr. Agarwal said. “Because Hurts’ blood clots originated from an obvious cause – trauma to his leg – the odds of a reoccurrence are low."

He added, “His clots were provoked and compounded by the immobility of a long flight. With unprovoked blood clots, there isn’t an obvious cause, and the chance of reoccurrence is higher. In those cases, the patient may stay on lifelong blood thinners.”

Interventional cardiologists with Baptist Heart Specialists are committed to delivering the highest standard of care every step of the way. To learn more, visit BaptistJax.com/Heart or call 904.720.0799.